A lock mechanism according to an embodiment includes an engaging portion, a hook, and a pressing portion. The engaging portion is provided in any one of a housing and a door that is configured to open and close a housing opening portion of the housing. The hook is provided in the other one of the housing and the door to be rotatable around a rotation axis, is engageable with the engaging portion, and is normally disengaged from the engaging portion by its own weight. The pressing portion is provided separately from the hook and is configured to press the hook. The hook includes a hook side engaging portion that is configured to engage with the engaging portion with the rotation axis interposed therebetween, and a hook side pressing portion that is configured to cause the engaging portion to engage with the hook side engaging portion by being pressed by the pressing portion.

A lock mechanism according to an embodiment includes an engaging portion, a hook, and a pressing portion. The engaging portion is provided in any one of a housing and a door that is configured to open and close a housing opening portion of the housing. The hook is provided in the other one of the housing and the door to be rotatable around a rotation axis, is engageable with the engaging portion, and is normally disengaged from the engaging portion by its own weight. The pressing portion is provided separately from the hook and is configured to press the hook. The hook includes a hook side engaging portion that is configured to engage with the engaging portion with the rotation axis interposed therebetween, and a hook side pressing portion that is configured to cause the engaging portion to engage with the hook side engaging portion by being pressed by the pressing portion.

A latch mechanism is provided that includes a housing, a cap, and at least one indicator. The cap may include a central axis and may be mounted for selective rotational movement relative to the housing about the central axis between a latched position and an unlatched position. The at least one indicator may be interposed between the cap and the housing, such that the cap is in covering relationship to at least a portion of the at least one indicator. The at least one indicator may also be mounted for radial movement outwardly from the central axis relative to the cap as the cap is rotated from the latched position to the unlatched position such that the cap is no longer in covering relationship to the portion of the at least one indicator.

A latch mechanism is provided that includes a housing, a cap, and at least one indicator. The cap may include a central axis and may be mounted for selective rotational movement relative to the housing about the central axis between a latched position and an unlatched position. The at least one indicator may be interposed between the cap and the housing, such that the cap is in covering relationship to at least a portion of the at least one indicator. The at least one indicator may also be mounted for radial movement outwardly from the central axis relative to the cap as the cap is rotated from the latched position to the unlatched position such that the cap is no longer in covering relationship to the portion of the at least one indicator.

A motor vehicle door lock includes a rotary latch which in a locking position encompasses a locking element that is pre-tensioned in a direction of an open position releasing the locking element. A pawl is in engagement with the rotary latch such that the latch is inhibited from moving towards the open position. A coupling section of the pawl is coupled to a drive element which moves the pawl between an engagement position and a release position, the release position allowing the rotary latch to move toward the open position. A force is applied to the pawl only in the engagement position thereof and the force application holds the pawl in engagement with the rotary latch.

A housing locking apparatus includes a shell, a cover, a fixing member, a blocking member and an operation member. The shell includes an abutting portion protruding inside of the shell and a restriction member protruding outside of the shell. The cover includes a covering plate and a sidewall protruding from the covering plate. The sidewall defines a restriction hole and abuts against the outside of the shell. The restriction member is movably received in the restriction hole. The fixing member is attached to the covering plate. The blocking member and the operation member are both rotationally attached to the fixing member. An end of the blocking member abuts against the abutting portion. The operation member rotates around the fixing member at a first direction to press the blocking member to rotate to position the end of the blocking member between the covering plate and the abutting portion.

The aim of the invention is to provide a reliably functioning lock for a motor vehicle in particular. This is achieved in that the claimed lock for a door or a panel has a locking mechanism consisting of a rotary latch and at least one pawl for locking the rotary latch. The rotary latch and the pawl are preferably designed such that the rotary latch is capable of introducing an opening torque into the pawl. The locking mechanism has a triggering lever for opening the locking mechanism. A transmission device is further provided which increases the pivotal movement of the triggering lever and which comprises a transmission lever in particular for moving the pawl out of the locking position of the pawl by means of a follower. On the basis of the pivotal movement transmission caused by the transmission lever, a relatively small pivotal movement of the triggering lever is sufficient to move the pawl completely out of the locking position by means of the follower. The invention thus ensures that a locking mechanism can be reliably opened even when the triggering lever can no longer be pivoted over the entire original distance due to the effects of aging.

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock comprising a locking mechanism, also at least one locking element (3), an electric drive (5, 6, 7) for the locking mechanism, and at least two stops (20, 21, 22, 27) for the electric drive (5, 6, 7) and/or the locking element (3), wherein one of the stops (20, 21) is associated with the locking element (3) and the other stop (22, 27) is associated with the electric drive (5, 6, 7) and both stops (20, 21, 22, 27) are arranged on a common stop contour (23).

The invention relates to a motor vehicle door lock and to a method for electrically actuating a locking mechanism in said type of motor vehicle door lock. Said motor vehicle door lock comprises a locking mechanism and an electric drive (1, 2, 3) for the locking mechanism. It also comprises at least one signal transmitter (8) for impinging upon the electric drive (1, 2, 3). According to the invention, a first flank (F.sub.S) and also a second flank (F.sub.E) of a signal (S) generated by the signal generator (8) are evaluated for controlling the electric drive (1, 2, 3).

The invention relates to a lock for a door, comprising a catch and a pawl. The catch can be in an open or closed position. The catch may be brought into holding engagement with a lock striker. The pawl may be brought into an engagement position. The pawl may be deflected into a release position, to release the catch. A pawl actuation lever can deflect the pawl into the release position. A switchable coupling arrangement is provided between the pawl actuation lever and the pawl. The switchable coupling arrangement may be brought into a closing and an opening state. When the actuation movement of the pawl actuation lever surpasses a threshold, an inertial characteristic of the lock causes the switchable coupling arrangement to switch into the opening state such that the pawl actuation lever runs without deflecting the pawl into its release state.